Petoskey holds ward conventions Monday

Petoskey residents will go about the annual processes of nominating city council and mayoral candidates next week through a town-hall meeting style format that is rare in Michigan.

The first step in the process will be ward conventions. Scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, July 28, in each of Petoskey's four wards, these gatherings allow residents to pick slates of delegates to handle the nomination of candidates for the mayoral election in November.

The delegates chosen will then handle the nomination of up to two mayoral candidates during a citywide convention scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at city hall, 101 E. Lake St.

The city's current ceremonial executive likely won't be among those candidates. Kate Marshall, who has served as mayor since late 2000, said she doesn't plan to seek another term.

Advertisement

Marshall, who served on the Petoskey planning commission and city council before she became mayor, said she has other interests she'd like to pursue and may not have the time to focus on another campaign.

"After serving the city for 11 years, I decided it's time to let someone else have the opportunity," she said. "It's been a great honor."

This year, convention participants in the 1st and 3rd wards will also nominate candidates to be those areas' representatives on the city council. Each ward can nominate two candidates for the November ballot during the conventions.

In the 1st Ward, incumbent councilman Joe Baird said he's ready to seek re-election for another two-year term. As of Wednesday, current 3rd Ward councilman Bill Reddig said he was still considering whether he'd like to pursue another term.

The nominating conventions also serve as a time for residents to present questions and comments to city officials about local concerns. Concerns about water quality in some parts of town and desires for better communication between city government and its constituents were among the topics discussed at 2002 conventions.

Along with the conventions, the city also offers options for prospective mayoral and council candidates to pursue a spot on the ballot by collecting petition signatures.

Elsewhere in Michigan, petitions have become a more common method of nominating candidates than conventions. City manager George Korthauer has said very few, if any, other Michigan cities still follow the convention procedure.

Petoskey residents sometimes ask why the city continues to use the convention format. In doing so, Petoskey officials are following the dictates of the city charter, Korthauer said.

When the charter was last revised in the 1980s, the committee that handled revisions determined that process should remain in effect. Petoskey voters subsequently approved that revised charter.

Convention sites

Petoskey's annual ward conventions are scheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday, July 28. Locations for conventions are as follows:

1st Ward: City hall, 101 E. Lake St.

2nd Ward: Sheridan Elementary School, 1415 Howard St.

3rd Ward: Lincoln Elementary School, 616 Connable St.

4th Ward: Spitler Administration Building, 1130 Howard St.

A citywide convention for the nomination of mayoral candidates begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at city hall.